Let’s face it, life can get tough sometimes. Stress from school, work, and relationships can build up and take their toll on the poor unfortunate souls struggling under their weight. That’s why every so often it’s ok to take a day off and have some time to destress and focus on what is really important in life: enjoying it. Here are five things to do on your next mental health day to help you relax.
1. Watch your favorite movie:
Thriller, comedy, drama, whatever your taste happens to be, pick a movie or two to help relax your mind and take you away to your favorite fictional setting. Enjoy the brief escape from reality that you can easily return from.
2. Read a good book:
If you’re anything like me, you can’t read two books at one time and english book projects unfortunately take priority over the books you want to read for fun. Take this time to find a comfortable spot, open the shades for natural lighting or turn on your reading lamp and dust off those books that you always heard great things about but never actually got to read.
3. Take a nap:
Sometimes all the human body needs to feel better is a little shut eye. Keeping up with a busy school schedule can have some people exhausted and behind on sleep. Take this day to rest up as much as needed and take it slow.
4. Cook a special meal:
Depending on your preference for food and on what you have in the kitchen, take an hour to prepare a tasty meal just for yourself. This could mean you find a fancy new way to make pasta, or you found some fruit in the fridge and decide to make a huge parfait. Whatever your decision, the food that you make will be just what you want and will be all for you.
5. Go outside:
Exercise helps release endorphins in your body that make you happy, making it an especially great idea to go outside on a day when you’re feeling low. Even if you feel like staying indoors, pull yourself off the couch to walk around the block once. You will not regret it, and might even feel like staying out longer.
Next time you feel like breaking under the pressure of life, take a step back. Listen to your body’s signals that it is time to relax. The most important thing in life is your health, and it is crucial for everyone to take care of themselves both mentally and physically. Sometimes that means taking a day off to recuperate. At the end of the day, your happiness is what truly matters.
